Tilted head during tummy time

[Marissaeb]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any tips on tummy time if baby always leans to one side? Do you help them or leave them to it?

My baby has a head tilt and it’s apparent mainly during tummy time when he started leaning to one side.

He is now 11 weeks so not sure if that’s normal

Does he generally have a head tilt? For example, favouring turning to one side when sleeping or when lying on your chest.

If so, it could be neck torticollis, basically a stuck neck usually from how they were lying in the womb. My youngest had it. Two trips to the osteopath sorted it and gave him full range of motion.

Yes as above, sounds like torticollis. My son ended up with a slightly flattened head on the side he was favouring lying on as well. We were encouraged to keep up tummy time and use stimulating noises to get him turning the other way (crinkle a crisp packet, ring a bell, shake a rattle). We were also encouraged to try and prop the moses basket slightly during daytime naps so he would use the other side (only under supervision and not for night sleep). It levelled out! We were waiting for a physio appointment but by the time he was seen he was flying along.

Thanks that’s super useful! Yea he does have a head tilt generally and favours one side so sounds like it. That’s also what the doctor suspected and told us to do more tummy time but at this point tummy time seems to be making it worse as he just leans on one side. I am also trying positioning changes and stretching - it’s been two days and not seeing a change but perhaps being impatient.

@LolaJ87 how long did it take to see a change?

Il research an osteopath too!

@Marissaeb it took a couple of weeks of being consistent to see a change! Especially as every night he was still favouring the same side. It did work though, it was just gradual!